Thanks so much! Just needed to know I'm not crazy! LOL - my tech guy is getting quite frustrated. :)

Can one or two people see if this link works, then just post the answer. If you see a couple of posts, don't bother trying the link. I just need to know if anyone can see it, because the people trying to help me fix it can't even access the link: http://www.oneacreaudiobooks. Thanks!

My goals are to stay in budget this month and start thinking about xmas. 9/2 $114.69 Stuff for the house- replacing tea towels, mitts, sheets, lightbulbs, etc. 9/3 $13.00 groceries 9/4 $41.07 groceries, 26.12 drum sticks/music book 9/5 $0 9/6 $151.24 groceries 9/7 $20.00 date night dinner 9/8 $58.42 groceries, $10.00 lunch at farmer's market, 9/9 $39.40 business expense 9/10 $39.87 groceries, $95.20 clothing, $11.79 fabric for dd's sewing class 9/11 $50 for dd's sewing class That puts me at: $303.60 spent out of $900 possible for groceries = $596.40 left $277.80 spent out of $450 for all other expenses = $172.20 left (ACK) $50 activities (pd from a diff. fund) I have not done a thing for xmas. I can't believe how much I've spent so far.

I've been keeping track but having trouble getting here to post. My goals are to stay within my budget, eat lunch out only 1x per week, no shopping just to shop, date night dinner 2x month (cheap), and start on Christmas prep. So far I've spent: 9/2 $114.69 Stuff for the house- replacing tea towels, mitts, sheets, lightbulbs, etc. 9/3 $13.00 groceries 9/4 $41.07 groceries, 26.12 drum sticks/music book 9/5 $0 9/6 $151.24 groceries 9/7 $20.00 date night dinner 9/8 $58.42 groceries, $10.00 lunch at farmer's market, 9/9 $39.40 business expense That puts me at: $263.73 spent out of $900 possible for groceries = $636.27 left $170.81 spent out of $450 for all other expenses = $279.19 left

You all are so lucky! With every baby I got my period exactly four weeks after giving birth, even though they were exclusively breast-fed. No breaks for me!

While you are doing your symptom journal, also keep track of if they happen when your child is preparing to leave the house, or like another poster said - at night. Lots of physical symptoms are caused by stress/worrry.

Have you gotten any counselling for PTSD? Because that's what it sounds like to me - you got whisked away, went through a very scary procedure, probably was terrified your babies would die, and blamed yourself - pretty darn traumatic! I wonder if a counselling session or two, either with a secular counselor or with an appropriately-trained religious one, might really help you continue to make forward progress.

OP - come to BC; it's lovely and homeschooling friendly, pretty much, here! I've only been in Quebec once as a teenager, coming up on a school trip from NY where I grew up. The sales people were totally rude to us, even though we were spending money in their stores. I'd never experienced anything like it before. I agree with the others - if you want to separate, separate, but then you'd better be totally, 100% separate.

I think Catwoman has nailed it. Have you done a criminal records check on this woman? I know here in BC I can do it online for free. I think I'd be doing some major snooping around. I know, I know - one should be supportive and open to others, but this situation has all my red flags up. I'd be checking up on this woman in every way I know how. And I think your dad was very smart to pull his money out of your brother's business - if there is something funky happening, you don't want him losing his savings, too. He's spot on; if your brother can be talked into bringing a grownup into his marriage and home who will contribute nothing to the bottom line but expect to be treated like family - he is not to be trusted with anyone else's money. This is really, really fishy. A question - did the "email" sound like it actually came from your brother, or do you think the new woman actually wrote it?

Don't forget daycare, either - it's saved my butt in so many situations. Often taking one or two full-time kids can cover the gap between the other partner's income and your expenses. I homeschooled for years while doing childcare. Ideal? Maybe not. Possible? Definitely!

What a hard situation - I want to say things will get better for sure, but I also don't want to just offer trite platitudes. Is it time to make a few really tough choices? Can you rent rather than own? Can you move in with another family and split costs? Can your husband teach any kind of music lessons from home? I know several people in town who make their living that way. Can you let go of homeschooling and take a job - any job - and begin to work your way up? I went back to work a few years ago after not working for years, and within four years I can pretty much support us if I have to. I spent a lot of my life saying, "I can't...." (fill in the blank) because it didn't meet my expectations of how life should go for me. I remained stuck instead of moving forward. One morning I woke up and decided I was sick of waiting for things to go right. (it was over dentist bills, actually). I decided that if I wanted economic security it was up to me to get it, even though being a stay-at-home mom was my dream. It was really hard to make that switch, but once I did a landslide of reactions kicked in and life got so good. Maybe if you give yourself a chance to get real quiet, look at the facts of what's happening and your true goals, you'll find a path you didn't think existed before. HTH!

I've been decluttering, too. We moved to a smaller house finally this spring, then went away for a month, so now I'm working to get rid of all the stuff that just doesn't fit. I'm working through a book and following orders. I whipped through the entire house and got rid of everything that obviously has to go. Now I'll go through room by room and really plan each room's use and how to best accomodate that. I'm so ready for an emptier, roomier space!

Joining in really late! My goals for September: Make a thrifty and healthy menu plan and really stick to it. Come in under budget for the month. Use my spending tracker to track every penny, every day. Make my Christmas list and begin to make purchases with cash. Plan any homemade gifts. We have a line in our budget for Christmas so I know exactly how much I can spend. This year I want shopping and sending done by the end of November. Pull out Christmas crafts, fabric, etc. Get to work on using supplies we have already for decorations, cards, and so on. Plan Halloween costumes and see if we can use fabric we already have. Keep lunch out to 1x a week, pay for date night dinner 2x this month. (We have developed very cheap ways to do this.) Go through fall/winter clothes for all of us and make lists of what we'll need, if anything. Stay out of stores!!!! Use up what we have first!

No invite = no gift. At this point, it doesn't make sense at all. Time to help your daughter find her own interests and new friends! I would be advising her about the differences between acquaintances and friends. She only needs one or two real friends. And if acquaintances act this poorly, you let your acquaintanceship slide. Save your time, energy and gifts for your real friends. Either return the gift card, exchange it or use it to by X-mas presents for your own daughter. And gee - if you aren't considered beautiful, then I must be hideous. Just saying.

Thanks everyone! I ended up taking a beautiful old curtain panel (silky sheer) that we no longer use and making a "stuffie hammock" that hangs from the top bunk bed against the inside wall above the lower bunk bed, if that makes sense. My daughter loves it and since it's as long as the bed, pretty much, it holds a TON of stuffies. I did have her go through them, and I think she managed to part ways with 10 of them, LOL. It's a start! It really helped to get some ideas in the moment!

You have no idea how happy it makes me that I'm not the only one rationing milk. My daughter would never drink water if I didn't force her to. A gallon can easily go in 24 hours around here and it's $4.65 a gallon! I'm trying to institute an "only at mealtimes" rule, but she asks so often I forget....

I think the title says it all. I have a preteen girl in a tiny bedroom. She still loves her stuffies, but needs work room for sewing projects, etc., too. How can I store these stuffies so she has access to them but they are not underfoot? Her room fits her bunk beds, one shelf, her dresser and there's a little space over where I want to put a small table for her sewing machine. She has a small closet and another weird cabinet with a couple of shelves. Keep in mind she also has LIttlest Pet Shops, figurines, other toys, etc..... I have some fabric, I could go to a store and buy something, but.... Please someone give me a fantastic stuffie storage idea!

The silent alarm worked very well here, after years and years of trying everything else, including diets, etc. The silent alarm helps the brain make the connection between a full bladder and the need to wake up which for whatever reason isn't developed in these kids. At this point you want to help your child. I waited for years to try the alarm because I thought it was "mean". I wish, wish, wish I would have done it years earlier. That child took so much damage to the self-esteem over this problem - every kid over four knows they're not supposed to wet the bed, no matter how nice you are about it. Plus all the rest of the unpleasantness. If you haven't tried the silent alarm, I would try it before doing anything else. Works wonders.

A friend asked me: Is there a classic novel based on class in America-portraying the way the upper classes (wealthy) keep the middle classes out of their "world"? My mind is a blank - anyone have a suggestion?

I'm so glad for my dh's attitude about kids and work and the fact that there is plenty to do around here. Even before we bought a bigger acre property, we gardened as much as possible on our smaller lot and are kids are all involved with chores. The kids handle the entire post-meal cleanup, taking turns washing dishes, drying, putting away, putting away food, wiping counters and tables, sweeping, etc. The boys all know how to do it all (15 and up), my 10 yo has had less practice washing, but certainly knows how. They all have bathroom chores, as well, clean their rooms, can do their laundry, and routinely get lists of other chores when we're doing a big cleanup. Outside, they cut grass, weed, dig garden beds, plant, etc. They help maintain our rental units and the boys have all learned basic fix-it and reno skills. They've painted, and cleaned up disastrous messes from bad tenants. People around town call to hire our boys when they need someone who can do a days' work and that makes me proud. It also makes me proud that the older two have part time jobs and my oldest pays his own bills and rent since he's graduated and has chosen not to go to University at this time. The hardest thing right now is to get our "baby" - the 10 yo dd - to grow up and own her abilities. We're all having to learn to stop treating her like a little kid. All the kids have done vigorous academic work and activities outside school as well as all their "chores" - I don't think it hurt them one bit. It is work to teach a kid to work in a society that doesn't expect it, like ours. You have to have both parents agree to it and stick to it. If the kids know they can't bulldoze you, they eventually learn to just "get to it".

You all are cracking me up - this thread is so much fun. Here are mine: If I lie on my back and someone rests their hand on my stomach I can't stand it - it's physically painful and I will put up with it for only about two seconds. I cannot sleep snuggled up to someone, and if dh goes an inch onto "my" side of the bed I will lie awake for hours trying to keep myself from running for the couch. I have severe claustrophobia issues, I guess. I also can't stand to wear hair clips, necklaces, rings, earrings....anything that touches my skin. I have become accustomed to clothes, LOL, but textures bother me - I just overcome it with force of will. It drives me crazy that other people don't tri-fold their towels. A dishwasher not organized "my way" bugs me, but I only redo my own. I eat my food in order - least liked to most liked. I eat all of one thing at a time. I find one dish in each restaurant I visit regularly and order it every single time. I eat 2 chocolate chip cookies at 3 pm and 2 more at 10 pm. Every day. I will substitute other chocolate containing things if I have to, but will not be happy about it. I pack cookies with me on trips and keep them in my room because I get headaches and feel bad if I don't have them at exactly the right time each day. I refuse to wear shirts with collars unless they are the kind you wear unbuttoned over something else. I have never, ever worn a turtleneck.

Oh, that made tons of sense. I trust everyone knows what I mean. :lol:

I totally remember that post! I seem to remember a lot of follow-up funnies, too, but don't remember any of them.

LOL - the Unitarian Jihad! I'd forgotten that.

Yes - I rarely drink milk, and when I do it's a glass of chocolate milk. The joke in my family is that if I drink a glass of chocolate milk I will scream at someone within 24 hours. I hardly ever raise my voice otherwise. No other source of milk does this for me - just the combination of chocolate and a full glass of milk. When my boys were little, milk made them really, really mean and cranky.